Malaysian Pineapple & Prawn Curry – Udang Masak Lemak Nenas

Udang Masak Lemak Nenas is a classic Malaysian Nonya (Peranakan) curry — a beautiful blend of Malay spices, Chinese influence, and local tropical produce. It’s the sort of dish that feels like it was always meant to exist.

I’m fussy about pairing fruit with meat or seafood done badly, it’s weird, cloying, or just wrong. But this? This is how you do it. Juicy prawns, sweet pineapple, creamy coconut, and a spice paste that’s been coaxed to perfection in hot oil. It’s tropical sunshine in curry form, and every bite takes me straight back to eating by the beach with salty hair and a cold drink in hand.

Serve with: blanched green beans with lime, and coconut lime rice topped with toasted coconut chips.

Malaysian Pineapple & Prawn Curry - Udang Masak Lemak Nenas

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Malaysian Pineapple and Prawn Curry Recipe Serves: 4 Difficulty: Medium Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

Rempah (Spice Paste)

• 1 big banana shallot

• 3 big garlic cloves

• 3-inch knob of ginger

• 3 bird’s eye chillies

• 6 dried chillies

• 2 lemongrass stalks (white part only)

• 2 lime leaves

• 3 candlenuts

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• 1 heaped tsp belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste block)

Curry

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 800g tiger prawns, shell on

• 300g pineapple, cut into chunks

• 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

• 200ml water

• 250ml coconut milk

• 1–2 tbsp tamarind paste/concentrate (start with 1)

• Salt, to taste

Garnish

• 3 lime leaves, finely sliced

Method

1. Prep the prawns: Peel, de-poop, and set aside.

2. Toast the belacan: Wrap in foil or baking paper, heat in a dry pan until aromatic.

3. Make the rempah: Blend all spice paste ingredients with a splash of water until smooth.

4. Cook the paste: Heat coconut oil until smoking, fry the paste until darker and the oil starts to separate (about 25 mins). Stir often, adding a dash of water every so often to stop it sticking and catching on the bottom.

5. Sweeten & pineapple: Add palm sugar, stir, then chuck in pineapple. Let it caramelise before adding the water in slowly.

6. Coconut & prawns: Add coconut milk, bring to a simmer, then add prawns. Cook for 3 mins until just done. Turn heat low, add tamarind, every brand is different so taste, adjust. You want sweet, salty, tangy.

7. Serve: Garnish with lime leaves, serve with green beans and coconut lime rice.

Top Tips

• Save your prawn shells to make a punchy shellfish stock or oil, incredible in seafood pasta.

• If you use your blender for both sweet and savoury, after blending the spice paste fill it with washing-up liquid and a splash of water, blend again, then run it through the dishwasher. Keeps your smoothies safe from rogue garlic fumes.